Vietnam War veteran recalls sacrifice others made

Just before the start of the 69th Annual Community Memorial Service on Sunday, Vietnam War veteran Larry Long remembered how unfairly he was treated when he returned home.

BY DAVID EXUMThe Dispatch

Just minutes before the start of the 69th Annual Community Memorial Service at the Square in Lexington on Sunday, Vietnam War veteran Larry Long briefly remembered how unfairly he was treated when he returned home in 1967. Unlike the receptions numerous veterans of today experience at airports and in their hometowns when returning from active duty, veterans of the Vietnam War were treated as second-class citizens and weren't given any welcome at all. “I got treated like dirt,” the Linwood resident remembered. “I was called a baby killer and a dope head.”Like other men his age in Davidson County, including guest speaker Jerry L. Hedrick, who served as the ceremony's guest speaker, Long was drafted at the tender age of 19 in 1965. By 1967, Long was serving in Southeast Asia as part of the Army's 9th Infantry Division. On a routine basis, Long worked on helicopters that flew into hostile North Vietnamese territories. “I celebrated my 21st birthday over there,” Long remembered. While he appreciates the Memorial Day services in both Lexington and Monday's events in Thomasville, Long said it took decades before he and others finally received the kind of recognition veterans of his era deserved. In 2012, at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Long participated in the Vietnam Veterans Homecoming Celebration.“I'm so grateful for that celebration,” Long said. “That was a great celebration for us Vietnam veterans.”Hedrick, who served in an armored cavalry regiment between 1966 and 1968 in the Army, read the popular Memorial Day poem, “I Stand Before You,” by Roger J. Robicheau. The longtime American Legion national executive committeman also told the heartfelt story of Myles Eckert, an 8-year-old Ohio boy who found a $20 bill outside a Cracker Barrel and gave it to a uniformed military man inside the restaurant Feb. 7.“Myles was only 4 weeks old when a roadside bomb in Iraq took the life of his father, Army Sgt. Andy Eckert, in 2005,” Hedrick explained. “While Andy was denied the opportunity to raise this outstanding young man, we can all imagine how proud he would be of his son's commitment to 'pay it forward.'”Hedrick also recalled the many servicemen from Davidson County who paid the ultimate sacrifice from World War I to today's conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. A total of 259 veterans from Davidson County lost their lives from World War I, II, Korea, Vietnam and Afghanistan. “We remember those who are no longer with us because they sacrificed their lives in defense of our freedom. These sacrifices have occurred throughout our nation's history,” Hedrick said. “We continue to lose American heroes every day in Afghanistan and missions around the world. The loss to their families, friends, fellow servicemen and country is permanent.”Before reading a proclamation officially recognizing the efforts of the nation's fallen veterans, Lexington Mayor Newell Clark told those gathered that his great-uncle, Hoy Lanier, lost his life in World War II. Clark also remembered his 92-year-old grandfather, Ardell Lanier, who recently passed away. Although Clark's grandfather didn't serve during World War II, he was grateful of his brother's sacrifice. “A family member gave his life, so we could all have a good life, and that's what we remember here (Sunday).”Bob Leonard, an Air Force veteran and former Davidson County Veterans Services officer, served as master of ceremonies. Dan Brewer said the pledge of allegiance, and for the 15th year, Katie Lopp Young sang the national anthem. George Clifton read the well-known World War I poem, “In Flanders Field.” Davidson County commissioner and Vietnam War veteran Fred McClure gave the opening remarks. “While we men with gray hair remember, it is important for the young people of today to see and understand the price that was paid,” McClure said. “These men whose names are marked on these graves gave us their lives in order for us to enjoy the opportunities we enjoy today.”The service also included the decoration of the veterans' graves by nine different veterans groups and the release of pigeons to symbolize peace. The Davidson County Honor Guard, led by Wade Taylor, gave a volley of fire and taps.

David Exum can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 227, or at dave.exum@the-dispatch.com. Follow David on Twitter: @LexDisptachExum